Category: Music
-
Q Acoustics 3020i Bookshelf Speaker Review
Great building block for your Budget Hi-Fi/Audiophile System! The Q Acoustics 3020i is the new “improved” sequel to the very well regarded 3020 budget bookshelf speaker. The original was known for its natural, warm, presentation which won a lot of fans in the press. However, the budget bookshelf market is cutthroat, and one can’t afford…
Written by
-
HiBy R3 Digital Audio Player Review
Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, MQA, Music, Portable Audio, Reviews, Streaming, WirelessGreat sound, Build Quality and Tons of Useful Features Makes This Player An Excellent Value. When the HiBy R3 campaign landed on Kickstarter early last year, it was leaps and bounds ahead of any audiophile music player in terms of features at the $200 price point. While they may have overshot the mark a bit,…
Written by
-
Music Monday: 2019 Jazz Grammy Playlist For Your Streaming Pleasure
The 61st Annual Grammy Awards, otherwise known as “Music’s biggest night”, will be airing this Sunday, Feb. 10th on CBS. Being the Jazz lover I am, I always like to check out the nominees in the Jazz Category and catch up on any albums I may have missed. Here’s a Tidal playlist made up of…
Written by
-
Get One Month Of Roon Free Courtesy of Qobuz
Last week I covered the release of Roon Labs’ Roon 1.6 update, and a big part of that was the announcement of Qobuz integration into their audiophile music management software. From the Qobuz blog: Roon manages, browses, and searches your local file collection and Qobuz digital download and streaming collections in one app, with the…
Written by
-
Music Monday: Mare Nostrum-“Mare Nostrum III”
I was listening to a Jazz playlist on Spotify, and I came across this album from a group I never heard of before called Mare Nostrum. As you can probably gather from the title, this recording is the third part of a trilogy, released on the ACT label. The Album is made up of classic…
Written by
-
Cambridge Audio CXA60 Integrated Amplifier Review
DACs, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, Music, Power Amps, Preamps, Reviews, Software, Speakers, StreamingClass-leading sound in the sub-$1000 price range. I purchased a Cambridge Audio Azur 540a V2 integrated in the early 2000s because I was impressed with its robust design. The thick metal faceplate and big toroidal transformer told me this amp meant business, It also didn’t hurt that it cost less than $500 at the time.…
Written by
-
Roon 1.6 Is Here with Roon Radio, Qobuz, and New Design
Roon, the audiophile music player, and music management software from Roon Labs, is starting off the new year with a new design, plus a couple new features. The new features, part of the Roon 1.6 update, include Qobuz integration, which will allow users to blend their own personal music libraries with uncompressed Hi-Res music (up…
Written by
-
PSB Speakers Updates Low-Cost Alpha Series
The following is a press release provided by PSB Speakers. CES, Venetian Hotel, Las Vegas, NV January 7, 2019 – PSB Speakers, long renowned for affordable excellence in loudspeaker design, launched an all-new range of Alpha speakers that, like their predecessors, deliver remarkable value and performance. Four models in all, the new Alpha Series is…
Written by
-
Technics Releases Two Premium Headphones with apt-X HD and LDAC Bluetooth
Bluetooth, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Music, News, Noise Cancelling, Portable Audio, Streaming, WirelessAt CES 2019 in Las Vegas, Technics released two premium over-ear wireless headphones, the EAH-F70N and EAH-F50B. Both models are aiming for audiophile sound quality, incorporating high-resolution Bluetooth codecs (both apt-x HD and LDAC) along with custom 40mm diaphragms. The F70N model adds active Noise Cancelling with an Ambient Awareness feature that will allow you to…
Written by
-
TIDAL Making MQA Audiophile Format Available To All Android Smartphones
UPDATE: Check out my post on How to get the best sound quality from the TIDAL app and MQA! TIDAL Masters MQA is now available on iOS as well! Check out our post about it here. TIDAL announced today that it will be making TIDAL Masters, their implementation of MQA high-resolution streaming, available to all…
Written by
-
Optoma NuForce and Massdrop Unveil New Wireless Earphones for Audiophiles
Bluetooth, Budget, Deals, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, MQA, Music, News, Portable Audio, Streaming, WirelessThe following is courtesy of Optoma Technology: FREMONT, Calif., Jan. 7, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Optoma NuForce, a world-leading manufacturer of audio products, today unveiled the new Massdrop x NuForce STRIDE Bluetooth® In-ear Monitors (IEMs), the latest product innovation stemming from the company’s collaboration with Massdrop, the popular community-driven commerce platform. The versatile lifestyle earphones mark Massdrop’s entry into the Bluetooth wireless…
Written by
-
1MORE Receives CES Award For New Flagship Penta Driver In-Ear Headphones
Bluetooth, DACs, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Music, News, Portable Audio, Streaming, Wireless1MORE just announced a new flagship in-ear headphone at CES for which they have earned the CES 2019 Innovation Honoree Award. The new neckband-style Penta Driver In-Ear Headphones feature 5 balanced armatures per side, and have the option of either wireless listening via Bluetooth or wired via an included adapter. They also support the Apt-X…
Written by
-
iFi xCAN: Bluetooth Audiophile Headphone Amp In The House!
Bluetooth, Budget, First Impressions, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Music, Portable Audio, Power Amps, Streaming, WirelessThanks again to iFi for sending me another product to review! After checking out their nano iDSD Black Label last year, I was very impressed with the build quality, feature set, sound, and just overall value for the money! Highly recommended, and if you don’t believe me, then check out the million other favorable reviews…
Written by
-
The 10 Best Sounding Albums of 2018…That You Haven’t Heard Yet.
As an Audiophile, good music is one thing, but good sonics is just as important. I not only want my music to induce toe-tapping but it should also be well recorded so it can make all the electronics, speakers or headphones that I constantly obsess over shine. Here’s my list of great music from 2018…
Written by
-
The Best (Or Basically My Favorite) Jazz Albums of 2018
As far as I’m concerned, 2018 was a very good year for Jazz music, with so many great albums covering so many different styles. While there were many like the Mark Ward Trio and Dr. Lonnie Smith that followed the traditional paths set by the Jazz forefathers, there were others like Tigran Hamasyan or Mammal Hands…
Written by
-
USB Audio Player PRO Adds MQA Support
Bluetooth, DACs, Downloads, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, MQA, Music, News, Portable Audio, Power Amps, WirelessUSB Audio Player Pro, the popular music playback app from eXtream software, now supports MQA decoding, but you will have to pay a little extra for the option. The upgrade comes in the form of an in-app purchase which costs $3.99. Once purchased, it unlocks the ability for UAPP to function as an MQA core…
Written by
-
2018 Budget Hi-Fi Holiday Gift Guide
Best Buys, Bluetooth, Budget, DACs, Deals, Headphone Amps, Headphones, Hi-Fi, Hi-Res Music, Home Audio, Integrated Amps, MQA, Music, News, Portable Audio, Power Amps, SpeakersLast-Minute Gifts for the Audiophile/Music Junkie in your life! Christmas is approaching fast, and if you are ordering online, then the time to order your gifts and have them delivered in time is approaching even faster! Here are some last minute gifts for the Audiophile in your life that won’t break the bank! 1MORE Triple…
Written by
-
R.I.P. Nancy Wilson (1937-2018)
Nancy Wilson, one of my all-time favorite Jazz Vocalists, and probably the one who is responsible for my enduring love of Jazz Vocal music, passed away last night at the age of 85. She is responsible for some of the greatest Jazz Recordings of all time, but her album with another Jazz Great, Cannonball Adderley,…
Written by
-
Brainwavz Audio Alara Planar Magnetic Headphone Now Available For Pre-Order
Once a brand known for inexpensive, high-value IEMs like the Delta, Brainwavz Audio has beefed up their lineup over the last year or so, adding several premium products to their offerings, including several balanced armature IEMs and a new studio monitor headphone. In August, they announced their most ambitious and most expensive model to date,…
Written by
-
Music You Need To Hear: Nas – “illmatic: Live From The Kennedy Center”
Man, when I first heard this crazy dude named Nasty Nas jump all over the track on Main Source’s “Live At The Barbeque”, I just knew this cat was something special. A few years later, when his debut album “illmatic” hit the streets, my notion was confirmed. The beats, the concepts, the storytelling, were something…
Written by
